familiar? (𝕟𝕚𝕔𝕜 𝕤𝕥𝕦𝕣𝕟𝕚𝕠𝕝𝕠)

32

"max?"

nick looked over at max extremely confused, but he didn't get an answer because max was already out of his seat and walking up to the stage.

nick watched it all happen, so confused as to what was going on.

max, however, he was on the verge of fainting. he knew he'd have to perform in front of a crowd, but that wasn't why he was anxious. although he would usually rather die than perform in front of people, there was something else that had his attention.

every step he took as he walked up to the stage felt like slow motion. despite the cheering and clapping coming from the crowd, all he could hear was the boom of his feet walking on the wooden floors.

after what felt like forever, he made it up to the stage and was stood in front of the piano.

"max, my dear friend. how have you been?" the woman asked.

"i've been pretty good thanks." he replies shakily.

"that's wonderful. now, what song will you be performing for us tonight?" she asks putting a hand on his shoulder.

"that's a surprise." max says. he meets eyes with nick who looks extremely confused. max cant help but chuckle at little at his face.

"oh wow. well, take it away then. ladies and gentlemen, max solomon performing a surprise." with that she walks off the stage. the crowd clapped as max made his way to sit at the keys of the piano.

he looked one more time at nick who was now smiling softly at max. max smiled back before focusing on the keys. his fingers hovered over the fragile off-white keys, before he started to play.

the melody instantly rung a bell in nicks mind. he racked through the names of songs that he knew when one popped out. it was a song that he didn't know well, but he felt like he'd heard it a million times before. it reminded him of his childhood. it reminded him of someone, a person, but the type of person that you love. it reminded him of love.

max watched the keys as he played, making sure he didn't mess up. once he'd reached the verse, he looked up to sing into the microphone and checked for the expression on nicks face. it was one he couldn't quite read, but he knew for a fact that nick looked impressed.

"it's a little bit funny, this feeling inside."

nick couldn't help but drop his jaw when he heard max sing. how had he never heard it before? it sounded soft, and gentle. yet it packed a punch that could only be taken with complete surrender. he felt like he could submerge himself into the sound and rest there forever.

"i'm not one of those who can, easily hide."

max watched nick anxiously as he sang. his heart was racing faster than he ever thought it could go. nicks face was still one that was unreadable. but max could tell that he was relaxed.

"and you can tell everybody, this is your song. it may be quite simple, but, now that it's done."

nick was brought back to the day at disneyland. when him and max were in the store and he heard the song for the first time. although, now that he thinks about it, it definitely wasn't. he was reminded of the comfortable, touchable tension that sat between the two on that day. he still doesn't know why. but when he now hears this song, he'll only be able to think of max.